Shoe shine shoe holders



July 3, 1962 Filed March 14, 1960 United States Patent M 3,041,642 SHOE SHINE SHOE HOLDERS ElwoodE. Smith, Chicago, Ill. (3020 Hollyridge Drive, Hollywood 28, Calif.) Filed Mar. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 14,853 2 Claims. (Cl. 1253.7)

The present invention in a detachable shoe shine shoe holder is designed to provide, first of all, the utmost in convenience for shining shoes. This convenience must enable the user to mount the shoe on the holder with the simplest movements possible. The movements should require the least possible amount of effort and learning. The structure should accommodate whatever shoe is in hand without changes for adjustments to size, shape or type of shoe. It should enable the user to do the same familiar movements under all conditions. This design is necessary to ensure that the user will always do everything right and obtain the maximum service.

First, the shoe holder, itself, is detachable fitted to a wall plate which is permanently attached to a vertical surface. The wall plate and fitting portion of the holder use a tapered male and female engagement. Aside from the wall plate, which is not moved away with the detached holder, this invention is made in one piece, by welding, including one slideable part, which does not separate from the rest. This construction avoids the possibility of loss of use due to a mislaid part.

The holder holds the shoe by means of an expanding grip on the inside of the toe and of the heel. The contact at the toe is by means of a portion at the end shaped somewhat similar to the toe of the shoe, but small enough to fit a very small shoe toe. The grip is accomplished by means of a slideable member whic his in a position and of shape and dimension to fit inside the shoe, but which is slideable on a straight section of the holder, preferably a sort of a bar, which is so placed as to permit the slide to travel lengthwise within a shoe which is placed over the toe cap and to fit inside the heel of any desired shoe. The shape of the slide and the relative positions of the slide, the shoe and the bar-type straight section along which the slide moves, together provide that any pressure on the slide which pushes the slide against the inside of the heel, creates a binding of the slide upon the bar-type portion of the holder on which it slides. By following a formula, to be disclosed hereafter, to govern the dimensions which are relative between the slide opening and the straight bar which passes through the opening, the binding action between the slide and the straight bar section upon which it moves forms a firrn lock.

If the opening provided fits looser than the maximum fit shown in the formula, the lock will be unreliable. If the opening fits closer than the minimum percentage given in the formula, the free sliding will be interfered with.

The gripping and holding action as described herewith gives an automatic fitting of the holder and the shoe, inasmuch as the lock is formed at the tightest point provided by the pressure applied. The value of this simple and automatic fitting and locking is obvious when compared with methods of locking a slide by means of set screws and wing nuts.

Obviously, the effectiveness, which governs the value, of this invention is in proportion to the ease of applying and the reliability of the grip on the shoe. Since the grip is between the front end of the toe cap inside the toe of the shoe, and the outside face of the slide where it pushed against the inside of the heel of the shoe, it follows that the pressure of the slide must be easily applied and securely held in the tight position. This invention provides the minimum of effort in applying the gripping pressure and also provides the exact proportions which will hold the slide in a binding lock. This relation between the hole 3,041,642 Patented July 3, 19 62 in the slide and the-bar on which it slides must be expressed in a relative equation in order to apply to any set of dimensions.

This inventorconducted a long series of experiments with various thicknesses of materials and cross sections of rods as well as platings and finishes on the materials. These experiments proved that the often unsatisfactory performance of this type of bind lock has been caused by the lack of the heretofore undeveloped formula of relative proportions between the hole in the slide, the vertical cross section of the straight bar on which the slide passes and the thickness of the material of the slide. The result of this research is hereby set forth in a set of relative proportions which are clear and simple to read and positive in the elfect on the necessary efiiciency.

Let:

X =Inside dimension of the hole in the slide.

A=Vertical cross section of the bar. T=Thickness of the material of the-slide;

Then: X==A plus (A( .016) (10%)) plus .005" or minus .005".

Description of Drawing In the drawing: 7

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of my novel shoe holder.

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the shoe holder with portions at the toe end broken away to show the manner of assembly, a shoe being shown in dotted outline mounted in shoe shining position,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the bar or rod and a vertical section of the slide mounted on a cylindrical bar.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a rectangular bar as distinguished from the round bar shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, and showing a portion of the slide in operative position.

In the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. '1 to 4, inclusive,-

the shoe holder comprises an anchoring hanger 1 having an extruded opening on its face receiving and to which is ailixed one end of a forwardly projecting rod or bars 3, the other end of the rod or bar 3 being received in and affixed to the offset end or upright portion 4 of a forwardly projecting frame member. To the outer end of the forwardly extending horizontal portion of this frame memher is afiixed a toe cap 2 in the manner shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Upon the rod or bar 3 is movably and adjustably mounted a slide 5 in the form of a plate having a depending cupped end portion.

As disclosed in FIG. 2, a shoe to be shined is positioned upon the shoe holder in the manner shown in dotted outline with the toe cap extending onto the toe of the shoe and the cupped depending end of. the slide engaging the interior surface of the heel of the shoe for retaining the shoe upon the holder.

The hanger 1 with its tapered opposed anchoring flange is removably received in a conventional wall plate 6.

As shown in FIGS. 1, ,2 and 3, the frame member connecting the rod or bar 3 to the toe cap 2 is channelled with the spaced flanges projecting from the exterior of the bend for maximum strength, and the toe cap is provided with a flat portionfor spot atf7 for spot welding the forwardly projecting end of the frame to the toegcap 2.

The slide 5, an shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is formed of a thin flat plate of metal or the like having at its lower or depending endarearward projection or cupped part which fits inside the heel of the shoe, with the convex surface of this cupped part engaging and retaining the interior. surface of the heel portion. As shown in FIG. 2; the slide '5 adjacent its lower end is formed at a rearward angle at 9 whereby the cupped portion thereof is vertically disposed for gripping the heel of theshoe when locking pressure cants the upper portion of the slide 5.

As shown in FIG. 4, the slide 5 is provided with a hole 10 through which the rod 3 projects and is conformably received. The relative dimensions between rod 3 and hole 10 is one of the controlling factors in the efiectiveness ofthe operation of this invention. The slide 5 must move with ease along rod 3,:but it must positively hold its binding lock on rod 3 while the shoe is briskly buffeted from side to, side during the polishing.

In the action of locking the shoe in place the pressure against slide 5 must be'applied against it below therod at a point indicated by 11, FIGURE 1, at the'front of the slide. To release the bind lock, finger .tip pressure is applied at the rear under the bent tip 12 of slide 5.

FIG. 5 shows .the same use of the bar and slide structure as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, with thedifierence that a rectangular bar 13-is shown, projecting through a hole 14 of accommodating shape and proportions in tion of round or rectangular as long as the same relative dimensions and proportions are used.

7 It must be understood that the details of construction and description as utilized in this specification are capable Having thus disclosed the invention, 1 claim: f

1. A shoe shine shoe holder comprising a horizontally arranged bar, supporting means at the inner end of said bar for mountingthe. holder on a support, a frame memher having a vertically projecting-part at one end afiixed adjacent its upper end to the other end of said. bar and the other end of said frame extending horizontally for- 4 ward,-a toe cap affixed to said other end of said frame, and a locking slide movably and adjustably mounted on said bar but retained in locking engagement when canted to shoe retaining position on the holder, said slide consisting of a single upright and substantially flat metalplate having an opening intermediate its'ends conformably receiving therein the bar, the upper end of said plate having a rearwardly bent lip and the lower portion a rearwardly projecting part for engaging the interior of the heel of the shoe, the vertical dimension of the opening in said locking slide being so proportioned relative to the vertical cross section of the barthat rearward pressure applied to the slide below said bar freely, moves the slide rearwardly until its lower rearwardly projecting part 'ro'rcibly engages the interior of the heel of theshoe and upon release of the applied pressure the portion of said slide above said lower rearwardlyprojecting part cants rearwardly from a vertical plane about and is automatically locked onto said bar, said, slide being retained in said locking position until released by engagement and forward pressure being applied to said rearwardly bent lip.

2. A shoe shine shoe holder, as set forth in claim 1, inwhich the dimensional relation between the opening in the locking slide and the'conforming vertical cross section .Ofjfllfi bar on which the slide is movable longitudinally of the bar isgoverned by the following formula:

' Let:

X==the inside vertical dimension of the hole, and

. -'A'=th' rt'al t'o ofthb, d the slide 5. The bar could be shown in any desired varia- 30 6 V6 16 cross sec 1 n e at an T=the thickness of the slidable member, and Then: 7

Q X=Asplus (n .01e)(10)) plus .005" or minus .005". of variation to suit theuse and application at the time, 35 r but still will be within the spirit of the invention.

References Cited in the. tile of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,187,663 Reiter et al. I an. 16, 1940 2,265,008 Seavey Dec. 2, 1941 2,465,017 Glorig Mar. 22, 1949 2,466,442 Kester Apr. 5, 1949 2,580,525 David Jan. 1, 1952 

